TY - JOUR
T1 - Sympathetic neural responses to smoking are age dependent
AU - Hering, Dagmara
AU - Somers, Virend K.
AU - Kara, Tomas
AU - Kucharska, Wiestawa
AU - Jurak, Pavel
AU - Bieniaszewski, Leszek
AU - Narkiewicz, Krzysztof
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2006/4
Y1 - 2006/4
N2 - Objective: Smoking is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Sympathetic responses to cigarette smoking may be implicated in the link between smoking and cardiovascular disease. We tested the hypothesis that the sympathetic neural responses to smoking are age dependent. Methods: We examined the effects of cigarette smoking and sham smoking on muscle sympathetic nerve activity, blood pressure and heart rate in 14 normotensive middle-aged (49 ± 4 years) and 12 young (29 ± 4 years) habitual smokers matched for body mass index (25 ± 2 kg/m2 in both groups). Results: Sham smoking had no significant effect on sympathetic drive, blood pressure or heart rate in either group. Cigarette smoking increased heart rate in both middle-aged subjects and young subjects. In comparison to younger subjects, middle-aged smokers showed similar smoking-related increases in systolic blood pressure (SBP) [10 ± 3 versus 12 ± 2 mmHg, respectively, not significant (NS)]. Smoking decreased sympathetic nerve activity by 28 ± 12% of baseline values (P < 0.01) in young subjects. However, muscle sympathetic nerve activity did not change significantly after smoking in middle-aged subjects (5 ± 8%, NS), despite the increased blood pressures, which would be expected to inhibit sympathetic activity. By contrast, in young subjects, the heart rate increase (22 ± 2 bpm) was greater than that seen in middle-aged subjects (13 ± 2 bpm, P < 0.01). Conclusions: The autonomic responses to smoking are age dependent. While blood pressure increases are similar in both groups, young subjects respond to smoking by marked increases in heart rate and suppression of central sympathetic outflow. In middle-aged subjects, the heart rate increase is less marked, but sympathetic vasoconstrictor activity is not suppressed.
AB - Objective: Smoking is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Sympathetic responses to cigarette smoking may be implicated in the link between smoking and cardiovascular disease. We tested the hypothesis that the sympathetic neural responses to smoking are age dependent. Methods: We examined the effects of cigarette smoking and sham smoking on muscle sympathetic nerve activity, blood pressure and heart rate in 14 normotensive middle-aged (49 ± 4 years) and 12 young (29 ± 4 years) habitual smokers matched for body mass index (25 ± 2 kg/m2 in both groups). Results: Sham smoking had no significant effect on sympathetic drive, blood pressure or heart rate in either group. Cigarette smoking increased heart rate in both middle-aged subjects and young subjects. In comparison to younger subjects, middle-aged smokers showed similar smoking-related increases in systolic blood pressure (SBP) [10 ± 3 versus 12 ± 2 mmHg, respectively, not significant (NS)]. Smoking decreased sympathetic nerve activity by 28 ± 12% of baseline values (P < 0.01) in young subjects. However, muscle sympathetic nerve activity did not change significantly after smoking in middle-aged subjects (5 ± 8%, NS), despite the increased blood pressures, which would be expected to inhibit sympathetic activity. By contrast, in young subjects, the heart rate increase (22 ± 2 bpm) was greater than that seen in middle-aged subjects (13 ± 2 bpm, P < 0.01). Conclusions: The autonomic responses to smoking are age dependent. While blood pressure increases are similar in both groups, young subjects respond to smoking by marked increases in heart rate and suppression of central sympathetic outflow. In middle-aged subjects, the heart rate increase is less marked, but sympathetic vasoconstrictor activity is not suppressed.
KW - Age
KW - Cardiovascular disease
KW - Heart rate
KW - Smoking
KW - Sympathetic nervous system
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U2 - 10.1097/01.hjh.0000217851.95583.57
DO - 10.1097/01.hjh.0000217851.95583.57
M3 - Article
C2 - 16531797
AN - SCOPUS:33645530603
SN - 0263-6352
VL - 24
SP - 691
EP - 695
JO - Journal of hypertension
JF - Journal of hypertension
IS - 4
ER -